COPD decisions — 2025

The Board remands the claims for service connection for COPD, asthma, and chronic bronchitis due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for further evidence.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for COPD to schedule an examination to determine if there is a relationship between the Veteran's COPD and his presumed exposure to herbicides during service in Vietnam.

The Board granted service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder and tinnitus, while denying service connection for various other disabilities including the right ankle, left ankle, right shoulder, left shoulder, right knee, left knee, heart, respiratory, kidney, venous thrombosis, urinary hesitancy, acute metabolic encephalopathy, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, sleep disturbance, abdominal distension, atherosclerotic peripheral vascular disease, neurological disability, chronic fatigue syndrome, erectile dysfunction, stroke, skin disability, fibromyalgia, bilateral foot pain, hammer toes, tinea pedis, meningitis, GERD, traumatic brain injury, and irritable bowel syndrome. The Board also remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss and a back disability.

The Board denied a compensable rating for COPD as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's condition required outpatient oxygen therapy or met other criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and granted a TDIU from June 12, 2017 to December 5, 2017, while dismissing the claim for TDIU from December 6, 2017 to September 22, 2019.

The Board remands the matters for additional development, including verification of the Veteran's current address and scheduling a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected COPD.

All appeals for ratings in excess of the current ratings or service connection were dismissed due to impermissible concurrent elections.

The Veteran's AMA appeal on the issue of entitlement to a compensable rating for pulmonary tuberculosis with restrictive lung disease COPD is dismissed due to procedural defects.

The Board remands the matter for further development, specifically to obtain pulmonary function test results from February 2023.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for COPD, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding whether each condition is related to toxic exposure risk activity during service.

The Board denied service connection for prostate cancer with urinary incontinence, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), aortic insufficiency, and urothelial carcinoma (bladder cancer) as the evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to obtain additional medical opinions regarding their relationship to toxic exposure during military service.

The appeal for service connection for hypertension was dismissed as the benefit sought has been granted in full. The appeal for a respiratory disorder, to include COPD, was denied.

The Board remands the appeal for additional development, specifically to obtain a new adequate medical opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's COPD in relation to service-connected thrombocythemia or conceded herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded several other claims, including those for lung nodules with COPD, coronary artery disease, back scars, low back disability, diabetes mellitus, PTSD, and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board remands the claims for service connection of various conditions due to a pre-decisional error in not obtaining medical opinions and VA treatment records.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for cause of death to obtain an addendum medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's service-connected cannabis use disorder was a contributing cause of death.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for COPD due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding aggravation by service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including hearing impairment, tinnitus, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, hypothyroidism, melanoma, acne, COPD, and left and right foot disabilities.

The Board denied various claims for increased ratings and service connection, including for allergic rhinitis, bladder condition, COPD, sinusitis, irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches, PTSD with alcohol use disorder, and hypertension.